Bloodhounds
Hangul
사냥개들
Lit. Hounds
RR Sanyanggaedeul
MR Sanyangkaedŭl
Genre Action drama
Based on Bloodhounds
by Jeong Chan
Written by Jason Kim
Directed by Jason Kim
Starring
  • Woo Do-hwan
  • Lee Sang-yi
  • Park Sung-woong
  • Huh Joon-ho
Music by Koo Ja-kwan[1]
Country of origin South Korea
Original language Korean
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 15
Production
Producer Kwon Mi-kyung
Running time 49–75 minutes
Production companies
  • Studio N
  • Seed Film
  • Seven O Six
Original release
Network Netflix
Release June 9, 2023 (2023-06-09) –
April 3, 2026 (2026-04-03)

Bloodhounds (Korean: 사냥개들) is a South Korean action drama television series written and directed by Jason Kim, and starring Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi, Park Sung-woong and Huh Joon-ho. Based on the Naver Webtoon of the same name by Jeong Chan, the series follows the story of a young boxer who teams up with a delinquent and a moneylender to fight against a loan shark organization. The first season was released on Netflix on June 9, 2023.[2][3] A second season has been confirmed in production and was released on April 3, 2026.[4][5]

Plot

Season 1

Kim Gun-woo, a promising young boxer, dreams of providing a better life for his single mother. However, his mother falls prey to Smile Capital, a ruthless loan shark organization led by Kim Myeong-gil. Desperate to save his mother from their clutches, Gun-woo reluctantly accepts help from Choi Tae-ho, a benevolent moneylender with his own complex history. Gun-woo crosses paths with Hong Woo-jin, a former marine and a troubled delinquent who also finds solace in boxing. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, they form an unlikely and powerful bond, driven by a shared desire for justice and a need to protect those they love. Together with Tae-ho, Gun-woo and Woo-jin embark on a dangerous mission to bring down Smile Capital. They delve into the murky underworld of debt collection, facing off against ruthless enforcers and navigating the moral gray areas of their chosen path. As they confront Myeong-gil and his formidable organization, Gun-woo and Woo-jin grapple with their own internal struggles. They confront their pasts, confront the harsh realities of the world, and ultimately discover the true meaning of friendship, loyalty, and the price of freedom.

Season 2

Fresh from taking down the loan sharks, Gun-woo and Woo-jin gear up for another fight when a global syndicate running an illegal boxing league targets them and puts their loved ones at risk.[6]

Cast and characters

Main

  • Woo Do-hwan as Kim Gun-woo
A sincere and considerate boxing prospect and a former Marine.[7]
  • Lee Sang-yi as Hong Woo-jin
Gun-woo's partner in action and a former Marine.
  • Park Sung-woong as Kim Myeong-gil (season 1)
The CEO of Smile Capital, and a notorious illegal loan shark who reigns above the law.
  • Huh Joon-ho as Choi Tae-ho (season 1)
Formerly a legend of the private loan industry, he currently provides loans with no interest to people who have no money for medical treatment.
  • Rain as Im Baek-jeong (season 2)
A menacing boxer who fights for money and power above all else. He would stop at nothing to get Gun-woo into the illegal boxing league Iron Knuckle Fighting Championship (IKFC), which he set up.

Supporting

  • Choi Si-won as Hong Min-beom
A third-generation Chaebol, and the eldest son of the Chairman of I'll Corporation. He is Gang-yong's younger cousin.[8]
  • Choi Young-joon as Min Gang-yong
The leader of the Serious Crime Investigation Division of the National Investigation Headquarters, and Min-beom's older cousin.[8]
  • Park Ye-ni as Kang Tae-young
The leader of the Cyber Crimes Investigation Division.
  • Park Hoon as Moon Kwang-moo
A private loan shark who formerly worked under Tae-ho, and a former Marine.
  • Yoon Yoo-sun as Yoon So-yeon
Gun-woo's mother.
  • Tae Won-seok as Kang In-beom
Myeong-gil's underling whom he met in prison.

Season 1

  • Kim Sae-ron as Cha Hyun-joo
Tae-ho's successor and foster granddaughter.
  • Lee Hae-yeong as Hwang Yang-jung
Tae-ho's right-hand man, who runs a Japanese restaurant.
  • Min Kyung-jin as Oh In-mook
Tae-ho's driver, who was originally the security guard for Tae-ho's building.
  • Cheon Dong-bin as Cheon Dong-woo[9]
  • Ha Soo-ho as Im Jang-do
The strategy management director of Smile Capital, who has connections with the police.
  • Jo Wan-gi as Kim Jun-min
A sales manager of Smile Capital.
  • Bae Jae-gi as Yang Jae-myeong
Myeong-gil's underling, who pretends to be a homeless man in order to steal identification cards for loan purposes.
  • Hong Jun-young as Captain Jung
A service representative of Smile Capital, and a former fighter.
  • Park Min-jung as Madame Im[10]
A business partner and Myeong-gil's lover.
  • Jeong Da-eun as Oh Da-min[11]
The granddaughter of In-mook, and an archer.

Season 2

  • Hwang Chan-sung as Yun Tae-geom
A former 17th Special Forces sergeant specializing in explosives who was dishonorably dischaged, currently working as an enforcer under Baek-jeong.
  • Lee Si-eon as Lee Man-bae
A former NIS black ops agent currently working under Baek-jeong. His real name is Lee Dong-hyeon.
  • Lee Myeong-ro as Allen
An IT professional working under Baek-jeong, and the IKFC site operator.
  • Kwak Seung-hyun as LOL
The host of the live streaming of the IKFC.
  • Kang Min-ah as Gi-na
A casino dealer who communicates with Man-bae to distribute drugs.
  • Cha Ji-hyeok as Lee Woo-jeong
A detective of the Serious Crime Investigation Division of the National Investigation Headquarters, and Gang-yong's junior.
  • Hwang Dae-ki as Sun-bo
Kwang-moo's assistant.

Special appearances

Season 1

  • Lee Joong-ok as a drunkard
  • Ryu Soo-young as Lee Doo-young
Tae-ho's left arm who is loyal to him.[12]
  • Lim Hwa-young as Min-ji
Doo-young's wife.
  • Kim Min-jae as Kim Jae-min (ep. 8)
A corrupt officer of the Serious Crime Investigation Division Unit 1, and a junior of Gang-yong.

Season 2

  • Gong Myung as Dong-hyun (ep. 1)
Gun-woo's fan, and a taekwondo practitioner.
  • Ryu Kyung-soo as Choi Kyung-won (ep. 2–3)
A detective of the Incheon Seo-gu Police Station.
  • Ha Young as Nurse Yoon (ep. 3)
  • Choi Kwang-il as Director Choi (ep. 5)
The director of the NIS, and Min-beom's uncle.
  • Ryu Soo-young as Lee Doo-young (ep. 6–7)
  • Park Seo-joon as Premium (ep. 6–7)
A NIS black ops agent.
  • Kim Jin-young as Han Seul-gi (ep. 6–7)
A newly-joined NIS black ops agent working with Premium.
  • Kang Shin-il as Heo Chung-ho (ep. 7)
The chief of Gunsan Gymnasium.
  • Jo Hyun-jae as Myung-hwan (ep. 7)
Gang-yong and Woo-jeong's senior.
  • Park Sung-geun as Jeong Hee-jae (ep. 7)
The director of the Investigation Bureau of the National Investigation Headquarters.
  • Lee Seol as Inside (ep. 7)
A NIS agent.
  • Lee Hyun-wook as Kang Hae-gwan (ep. 7)
A staff sergeant of the 17th Special Forces Brigade Special Forces Battalion.

Production

Season 1

Actress Kim Sae-ron played the role of Cha Hyun-joo. On June 2, 2022, Netflix Korea announced Kim would be removed from the series following a DUI incident.[13]

Season 2

On January 16, 2025, Netflix Korea confirmed the production of the series' second season with Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi reprising their respective roles. In addition, Rain joined the cast to play a villain role, a first in his 20-year acting career.[14]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 9 critics reviews are positive for the first season.[15]

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Korea Drama Awards 2023 Excellence Award, Actor Lee Sang-yi Won [16]

Listicle

Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
Time 2023 The 10 Best Korean Dramas of 2023 on Netflix Included [17]

References

  1. ^ https://www.imdb.com/fr/name/nm5922195/
  2. ^ Kim Ji-won (January 17, 2023). "'더글로리' 파트2→'D.P.' 시즌2…넷플릭스, 올해 한국 작품 28편 공개" ['The Glory' Part 2 → 'DP' Season 2... Netflix to release 28 Korean titles this year]. Ten Asia (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  3. ^ Park Soo-in (May 12, 2023). '사냥개들' 6월9일 공개 확정, 우도환X이상이 폭발적 시너지 (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on May 13, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023 – via Naver.
  4. ^ Kim, Hyun-deok (April 29, 2024). [단독] 우도환·이상이, 또 만난다...넷플릭스 '사냥개들2' 제작 확정 [[Exclusive] Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi meet again...Netflix's 'Bloodhounds 2' confirmed for production] (in Korean). Sports Seoul. Retrieved April 29, 2024 – via Naver.
  5. ^ "Bloodhounds Season 2 Gears Up for April 3 Premiere with Hard-Hitting New Teaser and Poster". Netflix Newsroom (Press release). March 4, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
  6. ^ "Bloodhounds is Back for Round Two". Tudum by Netflix (Press release). March 5, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
  7. ^ Lee Seung-mi (November 5, 2021). [공식]넷플릭스 '사냥개들', 우도환·이상이·김새론·박성웅·허준호 출연 확정 [[Official] Netflix 'Bloodhounds' confirmed appearances of Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi, Kim Sae-ron, Park Sung-woong, and Huh Joon-ho] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2021 – via Naver.
  8. ^ a b Kang Bo-ra (May 30, 2023). 최시원→이해영·최영준, '사냥개들' 명품 배우 스틸 (in Korean). Single List. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved May 31, 2023 – via Naver.
  9. ^ 우, 다빈. 천동빈, 제이플랙스와 전속계약…'사냥개들' 활약 예고. Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 9, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
  10. ^ '사냥개들' 파격 빌런, 박민정. Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 16, 2023. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
  11. ^ Han Hae-sun (August 3, 2022). 정다은, '음주운전' 김새론 대체 '사냥개들' 출연 확정 [[Exclusive] Jung Da-eun confirmed to appear in 'Bloodhounds', replacing Kim Sae-ron due to 'Drunk Driving' incident] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  12. ^ 우도환·이상이, 돈 냄새 지독한 사채판 물어뜯을 '사냥개들'. Naver News (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  13. ^ Yim Seung-hye (June 9, 2022). "[THINK ENGLISH] 김새론 채혈검사 결과 '면허 취소 수준'" [[THINK ENGLISH] Kim Sae-ron's blood test results 'level of license cancellation']. Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on February 11, 2023. Retrieved February 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Jang, Da-hee (January 16, 2025). '사냥개들' 시즌2 제작 확정...우도환·이상이 귀환, 정지훈은 빌런 ['Bloodhounds' Season 2 production confirmed...Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi returns, Jung Ji-hoon as villain]. iMBC (in Korean). Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  15. ^ "Bloodhounds: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved March 6, 2026.
  16. ^ Kim, Yang-soo (October 14, 2023). [종합] '코리아드라마어워즈' 이성민 대상…오정세x김선아 최우수상 [[Overall] 'Korea Drama Awards' Lee Sung-min Grand Prize...Oh Jung-se x Kim Sun-a Best Actor/Actress]. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 16, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  17. ^ De Guzman, Chad (December 27, 2023). "The 10 Best Korean Dramas of 2023 on Netflix". Time. Retrieved December 28, 2023.